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Should #ux report into the “new head of product” or “a new CTO” ? “The new CTOs argument is that product finds the problems and UX/Eng find the solutions. The HoP disagrees.”

My (perhaps) constrain advice:

1. If the company is reasonably healthy, go with the CTO...
...you will have to play a longer game, but you are more likely to eventually end up with a design leader at the “same level” as the CTO and CPO. Why? The CTO will become your #1 advocate.

2. If the CPO has a design background, go with the CPO

3. If the company isn’t healthy...
...go where things are the healthiest and you’ll have the most advocacy. This may be the CPOs area. Or may, actually, be the CTOs area. The CPO may be mired in org politics, and you’ll just become a part of that machine.

4. A good test is....
...what is the CTO’s mental model wrt “agile”. If they are unaware of the whole breadth of non-agile practices but seem curious. Point for them. If they are dogmatic...or part of an “Agile Transformation” ... go with the CPO.

5. Reality check the CPO for their mental model. If.
...they can’t imagine #design as an equal, as foundational to the company’s success vs. just repeating cliches like “customer delight” or whatever...then the CTO might be your best bet.

The pattern here:
6. Where power/influence exists now, may not be where power exists later.

7. In many orgs, developers and designers find they actually have more in common, and can advocate together

8. Decide if you want to play the long/short game. Turning the CTO into a real advocate = long.
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